Online Casino United Kingdom

Statistics about IGaming in the UK

This is a very big industry in the United Kingdom. According to the Gambling Commission, the total gross gambling yield in Great Britain was £14.3 billion in 2018-2019. Out of this, remote betting accounts for £2.1 billion, while remote casino GGY accounts for £3.2 billion.

Worldwide statistics show that 26% of the entire population gambles at some point. Every year, 4.2 billion people decide to test their luck. In the UK alone, 17% of the population plays at casinos online.

The United Kingdom has taken many steps to measure the growth and size of online betting. In a 2010-2011 survey in the UK, it was discovered that 11% of the public has made bets online over any given 4-week period.

Just next year, mobile casino visits showed a whopping rise of 75%. Today, it accounts for over 25% of all casino-related searches.

As legislations change, the casino market is growing steadily, but surely.

Playing at an Online UK Casino –Things You Need to Know

As you can see, playing at an online casino UK is becoming more popular every day and slowly beats land-based casino interest among players. Betting at an online casino in UK is a common occurrence and a pastime of many people across the country.

Here are some things you need to know about online casinos in this country:

Safety of Online Casinos

One crucial thing to know when you choose where to invest your money is that you need to search for a safe site. Using one of the best online casino sites UK should be your priority. This is determined by many things such as game selection, banking methods, customer support, and more. However, the first thing to check is how safe the site is.

UK sites are subjected to strict auditing. This determines whether or not they will get a UKGC license. The best UK online casino sites are regulated by a licensing body.

On top of this, high quality sites have additional security standards. This credential shows that a website covers technical security, responsible gambling, and game fairness standards. You should look for credentials on any website you are considering before you start depositing your money, even if it is a low deposit online casino UK with very enticing bonuses.

Just scroll to the bottom of a main page of a casino, and search for such information. This is crucial and must be published officially. If not, that’s not a safe site to use.

The best casino online UK will not only tell you about its credentials, but will also provide a number for you to check. You can use this number to check if the site is really approved by a casino regulation authority.

Aside from the UKGC, there are several other big and fair casino regulators in Europe, such as MGA and GRA.

Laws by Region for UK Online Casinos

Playing in approved online casinos is legal in every region in this country if you are of legal age. Internet betting is being regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005. This act lists every requirement set for online operators to receive customers from England, Scotland, and Wales, and be awarded a valid license.

In Northern Ireland, things are slightly different. The current legislation there is the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries, and Amusements Order of 1985. They plan to revise it, but right now casinos can only operate in Northern Ireland if they are approved by the UKGC.

In addition to this region, there are several others with slightly different legislations. But, there are not many restrictions for legitimate sites once they pass the inspections.

Gambling Act of 2005

Thanks to this act, the UK enjoys a clear framework for placing bets and hosting casino games on the Web. All players need to be eligible to gamble is to be 18 years or older and a good Internet connection.

The Gambling Act 2005 is a bill that set up a detailed process to ensure the protection of players and check every potential casino site. They have three main objectives listed in the bill:

• To prevent this activity from becoming a source of disorder or crime, an accessory to crime, or have any association with crime.
• To ensure that it is fair to both sides.
• To protect the youngest people i.e. children and vulnerable persons from being exploited or harmed by it.

The UKGC

The Gambling Commission was created as soon as the Gambling Act 2005 became active. This regulatory body oversees all forms of lottery, betting, and bingo in the country. It includes regulation of any online form of gaming.

There’s just one thing that isn’t regulated by this body today – spread betting. It’s overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority.

This organization is created with one sole purpose – to see that the aforementioned objectives are met. UKGC ensures that all forms of betting, including online, are hosted in a fair and safe manner.

Whichever casino wishes to provide services on the Web has to be checked and approved by UKGC. So far, they’ve done tremendous success in this industry. However, the commission suffered a big blow to its credibility thanks to Canbet. Canbet was a sports betting site that ran into a liquidity problem in 2013. As a result, hundreds of people were left without their money.

The White List

According to the Gambling Act 2005, every foreigner or sites without a Gambling Commission license are forbidden from advertising their services in the UK. The only companies that are allowed to do this are the ones in The Whitelist.

Some of the whitelisted jurisdictions are EEA Countries, Alderney, Gibraltar, Antigua and Barbuda, Tasmania, and Isle of Man. According to the UKGC, these jurisdictions’ requirements for operators are appropriate and therefore, allowed to take wagers from UK players.

Brexit Legislations

Since the increase in remote casino taxes in 2018 (from 15% to 21%), there are many questions surrounding Brexit. In 2019, there was a steep reduction of maximum offline bets to £2 from £100. Also, Brexit announced that credit cards are no longer accepted at online casinos.

One of the biggest changes brought on by these legislations relate to the regulation of casinos. Every online operator who wishes to operate inside the UK needs the approval of the UKGC. Such strict and unexpected measures made sites choose to revoke it altogether and stop accepting UK players altogether. This is still widely debated in the casino industry.

Casino Payouts

A fair and top-rated casino site must guarantee RTP rates and offer fair play. Sites that have passed the requested audits and checks are considered safe to play. Every casino is subjected to an RTP check before it is approved (based on the newest UKGC regulations, this has to be monitored frequently).

So, when you play at an online casino UK low risk, you should make certain that it offers fair play. Thankfully, you don’t have to bother with checking each game if the casino is already approved by a trusted regulatory body. Still, you might want to check a game’s Return to Player percentage to see your winning odds.

On average, a good casino website pays over 95% of players’ stakes back. Reputable companies have certificates of renowned test laboratories that confirm this. Popular test institutes are: BMM Testlabs, eCogra, Gaming Associates Europe Ltd, Gaming Labs International, iTech Labs, QALabs Pty Ltd, etc. These are all UKGC approved.

Perks at Top Rated Casino Sites

Once you make sure that the website you chose to play at is safe and regulated, you should look for the following perks that UK casinos have today:

• Numerous banking options

Players seek for secure and fast transactions without fees. Modern and top-rated companies offer many choices to make this possible for players, including e-wallets, prepaid cards and vouchers, paybyphone, cryptocurrency payments, etc.

• Available support

The support service in any online casino has to be available for its players. Since you cannot walk up to a representative of the casino when you play online, you need to be able to call or write with someone when you need assistance. This is why when searching for a quality site; you should look for one with well-rated support service that works around the clock.

• Regular promotions

One of the greatest perks of playing at online casinos is that you can enjoy unique and frequent bonuses. Top-rated sites have many offers to entice their players. Some take part of a loyalty or VIP program and are given to high rollers, while other are regular or occasional promotions that boost the players’ desire to deposit on casino sites.

For example, a good casino will have free spins on a new slot machine they are introducing, or daily match offers based on how much you’ve deposited. Some have a bonus for players who’ve spent a certain amount during the previous week, or weekend deals on specific games.

• Welcome offer

To entice you to play, sites will offer you amazing welcome offers. Don’t just look at their size – look at wagering requirements and details, too. Welcome bonuses can come in big numbers, but have unreasonable requirements, making it impossible for you to claim winnings. It’s best to find a site with an enticing bonus, but realistic wagering requirements.

• Variety and quality of games

None of the rest would matter if you cannot find good games to play. Look for sites that offer a versatile selection of games from top-rated software companies like Microgaming, NetEnt, iSoftBet, IGT, etc.

Final Thoughts

As a UK citizen, you don’t need to pay taxes on your winnings. So, pick a quality site with good reputation and great game selection, and immerse yourself in an amazing play from any location!